Apparatus for treating coiled metallic strips



May 26, 1964 P. ARNOLD ETAL APPARATUS FOR TREATING COILED METALLIC STRIPS Filed Sept. 6, 1961 INVENTOR. Perer Arnold BY /L.7ESLIE E. LANCY h,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,134,387 APPARATUS FOR TREATING COILED METALLIC STRIPS Peter Arnold, Oakhurst, Ni, and Leslie E. Laney, Ellwood City, Pa., assignors to The Meaker Company Filed Sept. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 136,356 Claims. (Cl. 134-120) This invention relates to an apparatus for treating coils of strip material with liquids.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide an apparatus for speeding up the pickling or similar chemical treatment of metal strip.

Among other objects of the invention is to provide an apparatus for improving the uniformity of chemical treatment of metal strip material whereby to avoid excessive corrosion of such material.

Heretofore, when a coil of metal strip was to be chemically treated by a liquid, for example, a pickling liquid, it has been considered necessary to prepare the coil for such treatment by manually or mechanically opening up or loosening the coil so that an appreciable grip was present between adjacent turns.

The objects of the invention are attained by PI'OVldlIIg metal strip to be treated in the form of a spiral coil, loosely supporting said coil in a rotatable vessel of larger diameter than the coil, and rotating said vessel containing the coil in such a way that the weight of the material causes the coil to act as a pump to circulate treating liquid through the adjacent turns of the coil.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front cross sectional view of the apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a side cross sectional View of a container holding a coil to be treated.

FIG. 3 is a detail view showing a modified form of holder.

The container 20 of the invention is mounted on a carrier device which includes an eye 11 for lifting and transporting the carrier 10 from one tank 12 to another for a series of treatments. The carrier 10 is also provided with a motor 13, gear reduction means 14, and gears 15, 16, 17 and 18; gear 18 being mounted on shaft 19 to rotate the cage or container 29. One or more of the baths 12 in which the coils are treated may be provided with heating or cooling coils 21.

An essential feature of the invention is the way in which the coil is fitted in the container. In the drawings, the shape and size of the coil with respect to the container has been exaggerated in order to more clearly explain how the coil acts as a pump. Actually, the process has proved to be very satisfactory with strips .010 to .250" thick and 6" to 10" wide. With larger containers, thicker strip material can be treated. The container or cage 20 is obviously open to receive and discharge liquid from and into the bath 12. In the drawing slots 23 are shown in the peripheral portion 22 of the cage 20 and openings 24 are shown near the center portions of the disk ends of the cage. The cage can be open to a lesser or a greater extent. It will be noted that the cage shown does not include a continuous shaft through the center portion. Although some pumping effect is obtained when the center portion of the coil is supported on such a shaft, the pumping action is better when the center portion of the coil is unsupported. The cage 20 is made with a lid 25 hinged at one end at 26 and adapted to be secured at the opposite end by a suitable clamp 27. Preferably, the interior of the rim or peripheral portion 22 of cage 20 includes means such as a clamp 28 to secure the outer end of the coil 30 (which is being treated) and thereby assure turning of the coil with the container, etc.

In operation a coil 3% to be treated is inserted in a "ice container 20 and the outer end secured to clamp 28. As the container is rotated, the coil 30 rotates with it. The container and coil is immersed in a bath 12 and rotated therein. As the coil rotates the space between adjacent turns of the upper portion of the coil fills with liquid from the bath, when the coil is rotated, however, the liquid between the widely spaced coils at the top of the container or cage 20 will be squeezed out when the cage rotates sufiiciently to bring these portions to the lower part of the cage. Thus, the coil acts as a continuous pump taking on bath liquid at the top of the container 20 and discharging liquid at the lower portion, the pull of gravity on the coil which makes the coil eccentric with respect to the container effecting the pumping action.

Not only does the rotation of the cage 20 provide for circulation of liquid between the adjacent turns of the coil but it provides for circulation of liquid throughout the bath 12. The apparatus is especially useful for pickling of strip metals such as copper and copper alloys (beryllium-copper, for example). Suitable recovery apparatus for copper or other metal removed by the pickling treatment may be associated with the apparatus. A very satisfactory rate of rotation is 6-8 rpm. With this apparatus, the actual pickhng can be accomplished in as little as 30 seconds. In such a process, all areas of the strip are equally treated and the time of treatment may be considerably shortened not only because of the greater elfectiveness of a circulating liquid over a stagnant one but also because excessive time is not required to assure the treatment of protected areas.

The container 20 may be employed with a coil 30 of various widths. Where there is a great variation in widths of coils to be treated a container such as illustrated in FIG. 3 is preferred. This container 120 has a disk 122 attached to the rotating shaft 119. Said disk 122 is adjustably fixed on the interior of shaft 119 by means of a set screw 123. The body of container 120 is also adjustably attached to the shaft 119 by one or more set screws 124. The nut 125 of container 120 is recessed on the inside to admit the collar 126 of disk 122. Thus, any tilting of a coil 30 having a narrow width within the container 120 is prevented by adjusting the disk 120 to support the coil 30 in a vertical position.

The features and principles underlying the invention described above in connection with specific exemplifications will suggest to those skilled in the art many other modifications thereof. It is accordingly desired that the appended claims shall not be limited to any specific feature or details thereof.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for treating strip material coiled in concentric spiral turns with liquids comprising a cylindrical container of such a diameter that the coil will fit therein with the adjacent individual turns thereof spaced from each other,

said container having a plurality of openings therein,

means for mounting said container for rotation with its axis in a horizontal position, means for supporting said container with the means for mounting the same in a bath so that the container is at least partially submerged in the bath,

means at the interior of the periphery of said cylindrical container for afiixing the outer end of a coiled strip of material to be treated thereto,

and means for rotating said container whereby the coil contained therein also rotates and acts as a pump to force the circulation of liquid in and out of the spaces between the adjacent turns of the coil.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for mounting the container for rotation comprises a pair of axial shafts extending from each side of the container,

container whereby the interior of said container is substantially free of any axial support extending between said shafts.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 comprising an arcuate peripheral door adapted to be opened to admit the coil to be treated through the periphery thereof.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein said arcuate door is hinged at one end and comprises clamping means at the other end.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising, in

addition, acircular, disc-like partition, adjustable axially within said container to restrain tilting of a coil axially Within the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hofiman Feb. 16, Pranke July 23, Breen Nov. 8, Lorlg June 8, Manion July 5, Greer Oct. 24, Alger Apr. 30, Watson Aug. 26,

FOREIGN PATENTS Belgium- Nov. 30, 

1. APPARATUS FOR TREATING STRIP MATERIAL COILED IN CONCENTRIC SPIRAL TURNS WITH LIQUIDS COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER OF SUCH A DIAMETER THAT THE COIL WILL FIT THEREIN WITH THE ADJACENT INDIVIDUAL TURNS THEREOF SPACED FROM EACH OTHER, SAID CONTAINER HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS THEREIN, MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID CONTAINER FOR ROTATION WITH ITS AXIS IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID CONTAINER WITH THE MEANS FOR MOUNTING THE SAME IN A BATH SO THAT THE CONTAINER IS AT LEAST PARTIALLY SUBMERGED IN THE BATH, MEANS AT THE INTERIOR OF THE PERIPHERY OF SAID CYLINDRICAL CONTAINER FOR AFFIXING THE OUTER END OF A COILED STRIP OF MATERIAL TO BE TREATED THERETO, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID CONTAINER WHEREBY THE COIL CONTAINED THEREIN ALSO ROTATES AND ACTS AS A PUMP TO FORCE THE CIRCULATION OF LIQUID IN AND OUT OF THE SPACES BETWEEN THE ADJACENT TURNS OF THE COIL. 